A/N: And the relationship between Van and Tear fizzles out in a magical rainbow of sparkles!

Tear sat on her bed, reading a magazine she'd borrowed from Natalia while said girl curled her hair, when there was a knock on the door. They looked up, Tear standing to open it, when it was thrown open. Van strode in, looking angry.

"Mystearica! Why did you quit Fonic Hymns?!" he demanded. Natalia drew back at his angry voice.

"Because I felt it wasn't working for me," Tear replied as calmly as she could. She didn't understand why he was so angry. So she quit his lesson, so what?

"Well, make it work!" he snarled.

"What does it matter if I go to your lessons or not?" Tear asked.

Van avoided the question. "If you won't continue with the lessons, then join Daath!"

Natalia looked at Tear, who frowned.

"No. I like it here in Kimlasca."

"It has nothing to do with who you like more! I'm trying to save your life!"

"From what?" asked Tear, suspicious.

"Stop skipping around the questions!" Van snarled, reaching forward and grasping her collar. He lifted her up slightly, and she felt her breath hitch as her fear grew.

"Tear!" Natalia cried, standing as well.

"Stay out of this," Van growled to the blonde girl then turned back to Tear. "Join Daath, Mystearica. I'm not asking."

"First time we've properly spoken since I got here, and you're strangling me," Tear croaked out with a ragged laugh.

Van gave a roar, throwing her back. Natalia caught her, steadying her as he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Are you alright?" Natalia asked as Tear panted, rubbing her throat.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she murmured.

"We should report him to Mr Lorelei," Natalia said, helping Tear to stand. Tear glanced at the closed door, and nodded solemnly.

"Yes...I think something's going on that he may need to know about," she agreed.

The two girls stood in Lorelei's office, having just relayed what had happened with Van. Lorelei paced his office, expression grim.

"This puts a whole new spin on the situation," he muttered.

"Sir...what's going on?" asked Natalia hesitantly.

Lorelei glanced at her, then ran a hand through his crimson hair. "Yes, I suppose you deserve to know. Take a seat, both of you," he said, and they sat.

He stopped in front of the window, gazing out at the grounds below.

"When Van first arrived, he was extremely competitive. He bribed and threatened students into joining him, openly mocked the other teachers, and treated students from other groups badly. I nearly sacked him when he calmed down, apologising for how he had acted and promising to change. And he did, becoming a role model to the students. He taught well, accepting all, and was polite to all the teachers. I honestly thought he'd turned it around.

He had been here for four years when Luke and Asch turned six. It was only a few months after their mother's death, and they were both still extremely upset. That's when a series of murder attempts began."

Natalia gasped, and Tear's eyes widened. Lorelei's eyes never left the window.

"Whoever they were, they were good. Despite me putting various protective charms around them, the person always got through. The first time, it was dumb luck they were saved. The person missed Asch, who he had been aiming for, and woke them both up. Asch, being Asch, had a weapon with him and attacked, forcing the man back and causing him to leave before Yulia or I spotted him.

The next few times, we arrived before he could get too far. That's when he began to step up his game. He couldn't get to them inside this building, so he attacked whenever they went out. The first time he did it, he nearly managed to kill Luke. He managed to seriously wound him, but thankfully Yulia healed him before it could become fatal. After that, enough people were around to stop him."

Tear stiffened, her fists clenching, and Natalia laid a hand on hers.

"But the last time he tried it, was when he tried to drown Asch. Just as they went under the water, Asch saw his face. We dragged Asch out and the man got away, but Asch was adamant he saw Van's face.

After that, he didn't try again. I was suspicious by then, but Van was acting under the radar, and I had no evidence to do anything. If I accused him by Asch's account, he could say that Asch was delirious, or that he had mistaken him for someone else. So I sat back and waited for him to try anything else.
But he didn't. He hasn't, actually. Not until this evening. Asch believes that Van is trying to create an army to use against the rest of the school, and Luke agrees with him, but I didn't see any evidence of this until you came to me."

"I-I can't believe my brother...actually tried to kill them..." Tear murmured, eyes wide.

Lorelei glanced at her. "I'm sorry. I know it's difficult to accept," he murmured.

"What about Luke and Asch? How do they put up with him?" asked Natalia, confused.

"They don't. If he comes anywhere near them, they become defensive and leave as quickly as possible. It's also why they're so hesitant around people from Daath."

Tear seemed to have recovered a little, and looked at Lorelei. "What do you want us to do?" she asked.

"Nothing - for the moment. We can't start a fight when we have no idea what we're up against. I'll do some investigating, but until then, continue as normal," he replied.

The two girls nodded, standing up and heading for the door.

"Oh, and girls?"

They looked back at him.

"Don't mention any of this to anyone else, especially Luke and Asch. They're more likely to start something that anyone else."

They both nodded again, heading out of the room, and Lorelei turned.

"Yulia?"

"Of course. I'll find out what I can," she murmured, before gliding off silently.

A/N: Well...that escalated quickly 0_0

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